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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rule — government
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rule — a law
  14. march — the month
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wake — a trail
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com